PART V
The brothel began to clear out just before the sky began to lighten. All of the girls had found company hours before and disappeared from the main floor, but the band was still there and able to hold their instruments, the fire still blazed, and there was still rum to be drank, so the revelry had gone on.
When the rum finally ran out however, people slowly began to trickle away, and an hour after the last drop of glorious amber nectar had been poured, Max was able to close the doors to La Maison de Renard.
With the brothel locked down, Max bid goodnight to the guards on duty, and then made her way towards the stairs. Her feet ached, her back ached, and she was so exhausted that walking became an almost impossible task, but despite all of that, a happy smile was etched across Max's lips as she trudged her way up the stairs. A smile that only grew when she walked into her room and saw what was waiting for her inside.
When Max walked into her room, she found Eleanor waiting for her, her back resting against the frame of the bed as she sat on the floor in front of it. Eleanor's arms hung heavy at her sides and her head was dipped down slightly, obscuring her face from Max's view.
"Max thought you 'ad gone 'ome," Max breathed out as she approached Eleanor.
Eleanor's head bopped up from its downward position at the sound of Max's voice. Her eyelashes fluttered, attempting to open, but sleep was still heavy upon her and her head dipped down again as she slipped back into Morpheus's realm.
Charmed by the sight, Max crouched down in front of Eleanor and pressed her lips against Eleanor's cheek. This drew a soft sound from Eleanor, and unconsciously Eleanor turned into Max's body, seeking out more warmth.
"Wake up," Max whispered into Eleanor's ear before giving her shoulder a shake.
Eleanor blinked up at her in sleepy, disgruntled confusion.
"My back hurts," She complained, both bewildered and upset. "Max," she added a moment later, though that was all she added so Max was none the wiser as to what it was Eleanor actually wanted.
"Femme enfant," Woman child, Max whispered, shaking her head.
Eleanor's sleepy grumpiness warmed her heart however, and despite her words, Max smiled down at Eleanor affectionately and slipped Eleanor's arm over her shoulder before she began to haul the blonde to her feet.
"Where...?" Eleanor asked, blinking confusedly as she leaned heavily upon Max, depending on the brunette to keep her upright as she struggled to fully wake up. "When did ... oh," she exclaimed happily, sounding increasingly alert. "I remember."
"Remember what?" Max asked as she helped Eleanor shift into sitting on the bed.
"I couldn't find you downstairs," Eleanor murmured as she settled herself. "I wanted to say goodnight, so I thought I'd just wait for you here. I must have dozed o … is it light out?" Eleanor asked recoiling slightly as if the light pained her.
"'ow long were sitting there?" Max asked, laughing as she took a seat beside Eleanor.
"Long enough that I should have chosen a softer surface to rest on," Eleanor sighed, shifting uncomfortably.
"Why did you not?" Max asked curiously.
She had been bewildered by Eleanor's choice of resting spots since she walked into her room.
Eleanor's skin flushed in response to Max's question and she averted her gaze, embarrassed.
"I'd already taken a liberty letting myself in," Eleanor began uncomfortably.
She hadn't planned on going into the room to wait for Max, but she had felt awkward standing outside of Max's door as hoards of people traipsed up and down the stairs, eyeballing her on their way past. She could have endured the stares however, but when she found herself leaning heavily against the doorframe for support as she struggled to stay awake, she knew she couldn't stay out in the open. She had pondered going back to her office to sleep at that point, but she'd still wanted to see Max, so she decided to use the key that Max had given a year before to get into the room. After things had gone wrong between them Eleanor knew that she should have removed the key from the ring she carried with her, but she hadn't been able to force herself to do it.
"I didn't want to … presume anymore," Eleanor continued, glancing over at Max cautiously, hoping that Max was not too upset with her.
There had been a time when she wouldn't have hesitated to make herself at home in Max's room, but those days had passed and presently Eleanor was not certain how Max would have felt about her resting on the bed uninvited. There were chairs in the room of course, but Eleanor knew from past experience that they were extremely uncomfortable and decided that the floor would actually be gentler on her.
"Max is glad you're 'ere," Max breathed out gently, reaching out for Eleanor's hand and taking it into her own, hoping to ease some of the anxiety she could read in Eleanor's eyes and see in her stiff posture. "And I am touched by your consideration. But I would not 'ave you 'urt when you do not need to. Be comfortable next time," Max told her, and Eleanor gave her small, shy smile and nodded her head. "Does your back still pain you?"
Eleanor shrugged which Max knew meant yes.
Max released Eleanor's hand and then slipped off the bed so that she was left standing in front of Eleanor.
"Maybe Max can make you feel better," she purred, mounting Eleanor smoothly.
Eleanor gazed up at her as Max settled herself on her lap.
"This is part where I kiss you, isn't it?" Eleanor asked cheekily.
"It 'ad better be," Max breathed, her voice playfully warning.
"Oh, don't worry," Eleanor murmured, "This is one of my favourite parts."
She smiled wickedly and then stretched up to capture Max's lips.
"One of?" Max breathed into Eleanor's mouth. "What are the others?"
"They're all covered up at the moment," Eleanor husked against Max's lips, nipping friskily at the bottom one before drawing Max back into another kiss.
Max smiled against Eleanor's lips and brought her hands up to the blonde's shoulders, sighing as Eleanor's tongue slipped into her mouth and began to explore.
Max applied some pressure to Eleanor's shoulders with her hands.
"Wha-" Eleanor gasped as she suddenly found herself in movement. "Oh," she smiled a second later when her back connected with the mattress, leaving Max lording over her.
Max leaned down and Eleanor stretched up, meeting Max's lips halfway. Max released a soft laugh as Eleanor's hands tugged at her, and she allowed Eleanor to draw her down on top of her.
Their kisses were slow and undemanding as their hands gently ran over each other's thighs, and hips, and breasts, gently exploring and teasing for minutes on end before the dizzying effects of Eleanor's mouth, and the exhaustion she had been feeling before, finally caught up with Max.
Max buried her face in Eleanor's neck, and then simply lay against her, too tired to move.
"Max?" Eleanor asked a minute later when Max did not stir.
Max found herself blinking her eyes open though she hadn't remembered closing them.
"… are … awake …"
Eleanor's voice reached her in fragments.
"… even hear … … and fire was invented by my Uncle Alfred who, it happens, was a cat …"
Max made a sound in her throat.
"Oh, so you can hear me. What? … You're not fine … Max, you're not … you don't know what you're saying…"
Max was vaguely aware of movement as Eleanor's voice washed over her. It was hard to concentrate. She felt like she was rolling gently to the side, the dozing occupant of a boat tethered to a dock.
"…Max? … Max are you still awake?"
Max managed to make a sound of some sort, and this seemed to placate Eleanor who went back to rowing the boat.
Were they on a boat?
No.
Then what was Eleanor doing?
"… almost done … just need to … tucked beneath the …"
Max twitched and kicked.
Something was touching her legs.
"It's not going to … it's just the blanket … Max it's … it's just …"
Eleanor started to laugh and though she was not conscious of doing it, Max smiled as the sound of Eleanor's laughter washed over her.
Max's body relaxed, and Eleanor was finally able to get her under the covers.
"… must have … handful as a baby …"
Max knew she must have drifted off for a second or two because she was aware of jerking awake suddenly.
Something was wrong. Something had changed. Something had happened and it had woken her up. But what …
Max's hand twitched and then began to move, searching the area around her.
It was bare.
Eleanor … where was Eleanor?
Eleanor had been there, she was sure of it.
"El…" Max began, a touch of alarm in her voice.
"Shh," Eleanor breathed, reaching out to take Max's hand reassuringly. "I'll be with you again momentarily," she said, placing a kiss on the back of Max's hand before she drew her hand back and retreated from the mattress.
Too long for Max, though not really very long at all, Eleanor slipped onto the bed beside Max and settled herself under the sheet. Once she stilled, Max instinctively shifted towards her and snuggled up against her, and Eleanor very happily accepted her into her arms.
"Ellie?" Max managed to murmur.
"I'm here," Eleanor whispered.
"Bien," Max exhaled, and then, like a candle being blown out, her eyes closed and she slept.
THE NEXT MORNING
When Max awoke later that day, her room was bathed in light and Eleanor was curled around her body, her head resting on Max's chest, like Max was her favourite stuffed toy.
Eleanor was still fast asleep, so Max was careful not to move too much and disturb her. Eleanor was not necessarily an early riser, but her internal clock got her up earlier than Max most mornings, which meant that when they had been together before, it had been the rare morning that Max had been able to watch Eleanor as she slept – and Max loved watching Eleanor sleep.
Eleanor slept with a peacefulness that eluded her during her waking hours. It sometimes took her a while to fall asleep, but once she was asleep, she slept soundly - no matter what crises she had dealt with during the day or would have to face when she woke up in the morning. It fascinated and confounded Max that someone so full of tension and worry could sleep so peacefully, but she happily accepted it as just another one of the wonderful contradictions that made up Eleanor Guthrie.
"Tickles," Eleanor muttered sleepily, shifting restlessly against Max.
Max smiled at the sound of her voice.
Eleanor might have slept peacefully, but she always woke up mildly disgruntled.
Max stopped stroking Eleanor's arm and took the blonde's hand into her own instead.
"Thank," Eleanor began softly, but partway through the word she drifted back to sleep.
In the minutes that followed, Max tried to stay still – not wanting to disturb Eleanor – but after spending most of the previous day, and all of the previous night, on her feet, Max's back was aching and the position she was in making it worse.
Eleanor made a small sound of complaint when Max shifted, but when Max settled into a more comfortable position, Eleanor relaxed into her again, and Max thought that she might have successfully completed the maneuver without waking Eleanor. After a few seconds of stillness however, Eleanor began to move, and about a minute after Max had first changed position, Eleanor lifted her head and blinked sleepily at Max.
"Good morning," Max smiled as Eleanor squinted at her.
"Is it?" Eleanor grumbled sullenly.
Max laughed and moved her hands to Eleanor's shoulders which she then began to vigorously shake. She knew Eleanor wouldn't like it, but it was the quickest way to get Eleanor's brain going - and it was a little funny.
"I'm awake. For the love of God, Max!" Eleanor exclaimed, lifting her hand to try and bat Max's hand away.
Max drew back her hands and Eleanor stared at her suspiciously for a moment before she lowered her hand and huffed at Max.
"Even Nanny Jenkins was gentler than that, and Nanny Jenkins was a monster," Eleanor griped, pouting as she gazed at Max.
"'ow could she 'ave been a monster, if she 'elped raise an angel like you?" Max cooed, smiling adoringly at the blonde before she sat up and extended her hand towards Eleanor, attempting to pinch her cheek.
Eleanor dodged her hand, once, twice and three times before Max finally laughed softly and withdrew her hand, allowing Eleanor to resume pouting.
"Do not give Max that face," Max said, giving Eleanor a serious look.
Eleanor continued pouting and it started to break Max's heart.
"Max may have been a bit rough," Max allowed a few seconds later, and Eleanor's pout retreated slightly. "But Max also thinks you will not be wishing for Nanny Jenkins touch for long," she purred, leaning towards Eleanor and bringing their lips together.
Eleanor returned her kiss eagerly, lifting her hands to cup Max's face. As they kissed, Eleanor leaned into Max's body, and Max flowed back, lying down against the mattress once again. Max drew her foot up Eleanor's calf and rolled her hips into her body. Eleanor moaned deeply into her mouth and ran her hand up Max's thigh, kneading the firm, smooth flesh anxiously with her hand before she applied the slightest pressure against the inside of Max's leg, encouraging Max to spread for her.
Max happily obliged her and Eleanor slipped between her thighs as Max took control of the kiss, dominating Eleanor's mouth as Eleanor's hands clutched at her hips.
Max's hands took hold of the thin shirt covering Eleanor's body and began to tug it up. Eleanor started to mirror Max's motions, attempting to rid Max of the shirt that covered her, but before she could hitch the material higher than Max's hips, Max's hand found its way between her legs and Eleanor gasped into her mouth and instinctively bucked into Max's hand.
Eleanor was ready for her, and Max explored her womanhood leisurely, reacquainting herself with the slick warmth and sensitive flesh she had once known so well.
"Max," Eleanor moaned a few minutes later, sounding almost pained, as she turned her head, angling it away from Max. "We should stop," she panted, looking down at Max beseechingly with kiss swollen lips as her chest heaved.
She looked delicious and she felt even better against Max's fingers.
Max did not want to stop.
"We should not," Max breathed out, reaching out for Eleanor, attempting to draw Eleanor's mouth back to hers.
"If we continue," Eleanor murmured, dropping her eyes ashamedly, "if you keep touching me, I'm not sure …," she paused, releasing a shuddering breath. "I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep myself from spending," she whispered, unable to meet Max's eyes.
She was not usually so quickly brought to the edge, but Max's touch had always had a powerful effect on her, and she had been without it for so long. She did not want to pull away from Max, she did not want to stop touching, but they had not yet made love, and Eleanor did not want to risk her body taking her to a point beyond what Max was currently comfortable with.
"I want to 'ave you," Max husked, tilting her head to the side and chasing Eleanor's eyes until the blonde finally looked up at her. "I want to give you pleasure. Do you want to stop?" she asked softly, holding Eleanor's eyes intently.
Eleanor's eyes fluttered closed as she breathed out tremulously, then shook her head. Her eyes blinked open a moment later, and when she looked up into Max's face, the raw desire Max saw in their shining baby blue depths made her ache with so much love and need that it momentarily robbed her of breath.
She knew how to soothe the ache however, she knew what she needed, and Max leaned up and captured Eleanor's lips, drawing Eleanor into a deep kiss as her fingers went back to work to between Eleanor's legs.
To be continued ...
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